Confidentiality

We ask for information about you so that you can receive the best possible care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care, to ensure that your doctor or nurse has accurate and up to date records.

There are times when we have to pass on information about you to other people such as hospitals, Social Services or the Health Authority. This is always done confidentially or by removing your identifying details when they are not essential. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality about patient information. We are a computerised practice, registered under the Data Protection Act.

This leaflet briefly explains why the doctor’s surgery collects information about you, and how that information may be used.

Why we collect information about you

The surgery keeps records about the healthcare and treatment you receive here and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.). This helps to ensure that you receive the best possible care from us.

Records may be held in electronic or manual (written down) format, and may include the following information:

Details about you, such as address and next of kin

Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments, etc.

Notes and reports about your health

Details about your treatment and care

Results of investigations, such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.

Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you and know you well

To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and to help us manage the NHS. Information may be used for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.

Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.

Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – the surgery will always endeavour to gain your consent before releasing the information.

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed at the surgery please contact the Practice Manager to discuss how the disclosure of your personal information can be limited.

How we keep your records confidential

The surgery complies with the NHS Confidentiality Code of Conduct. All our staff are required to protect your information, keep it confidential, inform you of how your information will be used, and allow you to decide if and how your information can be shared.

We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), or where the law requires information to be passed on.

Sharing information with other organisations

We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations:

NHS Trusts

Specialist Trusts

Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists

Private Sector Providers

Voluntary Sector Providers

Ambulance Trusts

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Social Care Services

Local Authorities

Education Services

Fire and Rescue Services

Police

other ‘data processors’

Access to your Information

You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to access/view what information the surgery holds about you, and to have it amended or removed should it be inaccurate. This is known as ‘the right of subject access’. If you would like to make a ‘subject access request’, please contact the practice manager in writing.

If you would like further information about how we use your information, or if you do not want us to use your information in this way, please contact the Practice Manager.